kortsch



March 10, 1964 w. E. KORTSCH 3,124,328

ARM RESTS FOR DENTISTS OR THE 'LIKE Original Filed June 5, 1961 42 30b) FIGZ 6 INVENTOR. WILLIAM E. KORTSCH AT TOR NEY United States Patent 3,124,328 ARM RESTS FOR DENTISTS OR. THE LIKE William E. Kortsch, 3204 N. Cambridge Ave, Milwaukee, Wis. Continuation of application Ser. No. 114,935, June 5, 1%1. This application July 23, 1962, Ser. No. 213,571 4 Claims. (13!. 248118) This invention relates to improvements in arm rests, and more particularly to and adjustable arm rest that may be applied to a dentist chair or the like.

This application is a continuation of William E. Kortsch, Serial No. 114,935, filed June 5, 1961 for Arm Rests for Dentists or the Like, now abandoned.

Those familiar with dental operations know that the dentist is generally compelled to use both hands, one hand generally supporting a hand mirror, the other carrying on the operating procedure. With such considerations in mind, it is the prime purpose of my invention to provide structure for supporting one arm of the operator to enable him to hold an instrument in a fixed position, while he may conduct the operation technique with the other hand.

Another object of my invention is to provide an adjustable arm rest of the character described which can be adjusted as desired, and which can be placed in position at a single place on a dental chair and appropriately adjusted to extend to either side of the patient.

Still another object is to provide a dentists arm rest or the like capable of readily being raised or lowered and pivoted in desired directions, all without the use of special handling tools.

A further object is to provide an adjustable arm rest adapted for support or attachment to the conventional head rest support of a dentists chair.

Other and further objects of my invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds, when taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dentists arm rest embodying the improvements according to my invention;

F IG. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows for adjustably supporting the arm rest seen in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section taken along the plane indicated by the arrows 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of structure for securing the arm rest according to the present invention to the conventional head rest support of a dentist chair; and

FIG. 5 is an elevatioual view of the structure seen in FIG. 4.

Referring now to the drawing, the improved arm rest according to the present invention includes a curved arm support member 11 resting upon a support stem 11, attached to the arm rest at 12 in any convenient manner. Stem 11 has spaced annular grooves 13 therein, and stem 11 is guided in a vertical guide 14 in an arm section 15 at its end thereof. Arm 15 has a recess 15a supporting a detent pin 16 surrounded by a compression spring 17 constrained between a shoulder 17a on pin 16 and an abutment 17b in recess 15a. A latch member 19 is secured to detent pin 16 and extends from recess 15a at opening 13.

Detent pin 16 is movable by latch 19 against the bias of spring 17 to release the forward end 21 of pin 16 from engagement with one of the circular grooves 13 on the stem 11. Arm support member 111 can thus be raised or lowered to a pre-determined position, grooves 13 enabling the arm support member 10 to be turned to any selected position.

Arm section 15 is pivotally attached to an intermediate arm section 24 by a vertical pin 23. The other end of intermediate arm section 24 is pivotally supported on a hinge bracket 25 by means of a splined pin 26. Longi- 3,124,323 Patented Mar. 10, 1964 tudinal grooves 27 in pin 26 engage the end 28 of a second detent latch 29 urged to engage positions with a groove 27 by a compression spring 3%) constrained between a shoulder 3th: on pin 28 and a web 3% in intermediate arm portion 24,. A latch 31 secured to detent latch 2h moves in an open slot 32 in intermediate arm section 24. Pin 29 can thereby be disengaged from one of the grooves 27 in the pin 26 to enable arm section 24 to pivot on the hinge bracket 25 or be locked with respect thereto.

Hinge bracket 25 has spaced limb members 25a and 25b and a pin 33 extends through members 25a. and 25b and a tongue-like attaching member 34 to hold hinge bracket 25 thereto. Attaching member 34 is essentially semi-circular and limb members 25a and 25b conform substantially thereto.

Notches 37 in the periphery of the attaching member 34 cooperate with a third detent pin 38. Detent pin 38 is slidable within a recess 36 in hinge bracket 25, and is urged into a notch 37 by a spring 39 constrained between a shoulder 39a on pin 38 and an abutment 3% on bracket 25. Pin 33 has a pull-knob 413 attached to its outer end to move pin 38 out of engagement with the notches 37.

Attaching member 34 is secured by a mounting bracket assembly 42, which consists of a front mounting plate 43 supporting member 34, and a rear mounting plate 44 spaced from front plate 43. Both front mounting plate 43 and rear mounting plate 44 are provided with slots 45 for the accommodation of through bolts 46.

Rear mounting plate 44 extends upward above the top edge of the front plate 43, and the two plates 43 and 44 are held together to a conventional T-shaped head rest device consisting of an adjustable vertical member 48 and horizontally extending arms 49. Rear mounting plate 44 bears against horizontal arms 49, and the two mounting plates 43 and 44 are held against turning with respect to vertical member 48 by bolts 46.

From the above description it is believed evident that the device provides a means of supporting the curved support member 10 in any selected position in both vertical and horizontal planes. It is evident that the arm rest can readily swing to any desired position to either side of the head rest. Although I have shown a specific arrangement and construction of the parts, I am fully cognizant of the fact that the parts may be varied in form, shape and contour, without effecting their operativeness, and I reserve the right to make such changes without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent in the United States is:

1. An arm rest adapted to be secured to the head rest device for a dentists chair, said arm rest comprising a pair of members clamping said head rest therebetween, a bracket adapted to be adjusted in a vertical plane with respect to one of said clamping members, said bracket including a member fixed to said one clamping member and a second member pivoted with respect thereto in such plane, detent means supported on said members for locking said bracket in a desired position, an arm pivoted on said second member including means for adjustably lock ing the position of said arm with respect to said second member, a second arm pivoted with respect to said first named arm, an arm support mounted at the free end of said second arm, said support including a support stem with a saddle secured to the upper end thereof, and means carried by said second arm for adjustably locking the position of said support stem with respect to said second arm.

2. An arm rest adapted to be secured to the head rest device for a dentists chair, said arm rest comprising a pa r of members clamping said head rest therebetween, a bracket adapted to be adjusted in a vertical plane with re spect to one of said clamping members, said bracket including a member fixed to said one clamping member and a second member pivoted with respect thereto in such plane, detent means supported on said members for locking said bracket in a desired position, an arm pivoted on said second member including means for adjustably locking the position of said arm with respect to said second member, a second arm pivoted with respect to said first named arm, an arm support mounted at the free end of said second arm, said support including a support stem with a saddle secured to the upper end thereof, and means for locking the position of said support stem with respect to said second arm.

3. An arm rest adapted to be secured to the head rest device for a dentists chair, said arm rest comprising a pair of members clamping said head rest therebetween, a bracket adapted to be adjusted in a vertical plane with respect to one of said clamping members, said bracket including a member fixed to said one clamping member and a second member pivoted with respect thereto in such plane, means for locking said bracket in a desired position, an arm pivoted on said second member including means for adjustably locking the position of said arm with respect to said second member, a second arm pivoted with respect to said first named arm, an arm support mounted at the free end of said second arm, said support including a support stem with a saddle secured to the upper end thereof, and means carried by said second arm for adjustably locking the position of said support stem with respect to said second arm.

4. An arm rest adapted to be secured to the head rest device for a dentists chair, said arm rest comprising a pair of clamping members clamping said head rest therebetween, a bracket adapted to be adjusted in a vertical plane with respect to one of said clamping members, said bracket including a member fixed to said one clamping member and a second member pivoted with respect thereto in such plane, means for locking said bracket in a desired position, an arm pivoted on said second member including means for adjustably locking the position of said arm with respect to said second member, a second arm pivoted with respect to said first named arm, and an arm support mounted at the free end of said second arm, said support including a support stem with a saddle secured to the upper end thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 937,480 Smith Oct. 19, 1909 1,025,476 Mellen May 7, 1912 1,074,272 Kline Sept. 30, 1913 1,706,634 Seils Mar. 26, 1929 2,614,558 Lovell Oct. 21, 1952 

4. AN ARM REST ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO THE HEAD REST DEVICE FOR A DENTIST''S CHAIR, SAID ARM REST COMPRISING A PAIR OF CLAMPING MEMBERS CLAMPING SAID HEAD REST THEREBETWEEN, A BRACKET ADAPTED TO BE ADJUSTED IN A VERTICAL PLANE WITH RESPECT TO ONE OF SAID CLAMPING MEMBERS, SAID BRACKET INCLUDING A MEMBER FIXED TO SAID ONE CLAMPING MEMBER AND A SECOND MEMBER PIVOTED WITH RESPECT THERETO IN SUCH PLANE, MEANS FOR LOCKING SAID BRACKET IN A DESIRED POSITION, AN ARM PIVOTED ON SAID SECOND MEMBER INCLUDING MEANS FOR ADJUSTABLY LOCKING THE POSITION OF SAID ARM WITH RESPECT TO SAID SECOND MEMBER, A SECOND ARM PIVOTED WITH RESPECT TO SAID FIRST NAMED ARM, AND AN ARM SUPPORT MOUNTED AT THE FREE END OF SAID SECOND ARM, SAID SUPPORT INCLUDING A SUPPORT STEM WITH A SADDLE SECURED TO THE UPPER END THEREOF. 